| The saxons established
territories in the south (Wessex, Sussex, Middlesex, Essex for western, southern, middle and eastern saxons) and the angles further north (East Anglia). The far north also had Danish settlers. Eventually a whole nation came into being with its own language Anglo-Saxon (to become English from Anglish) and Kings.
These kings Alfred, Aethelstan etc. were crowned on the coronation stone at the King's town (Kingston-on-Thames) but made the roman town Londinium (in Latin) into their capital, London.
The P celts of the north (Strathclyde celts) were superseded and little remains of their language except North of England sheep counting (yan, dan, try, pethera etc.) which are the celtic numbers and many place names. Cumberland for example derives from Cymry (the brotherhood in modern welsh and
the modern welsh name for Wales).
The welsh remained independent until the middle ages when they were married into the English crown (the welsh family Teudar or Tudor). The Anglo-Saxon for stranger is 'wealas' and gives rise to Wales and the surname Wallis or Wallace and the 'wall' part of Cornwall (strangers from the horn).
In the south-western peninsula, the Anglo-Saxons gradually moved further west and several kings had expeditions to conquer these celts. Many
of the celts from the modern counties of Devon, Dorset, Somerset and further east migrated to a rocky peninsula now in modern France. Here they set up a new country of course now called Britanny. The name of Britain is celtic and is in Welsh 'Pryddain' (pronounced Brithin). In the breton celtic language 'dd' or 'th' becomes 'zh' and so the breton name for Britanny is 'Breizh'. The breton language deviated from that of
the 'southern welsh' but it is still
possible with great difficulty for speakers of Welsh, Breton and Cornish to understand each other. Breton and Cornish being more similar to each other than to Welsh.
For sometime the Anglo-Saxons left Cornwall unconquered, due to the long distance from London, the difficulty of the terrain in Devon and the steep sided Tamar estuary and valley which separates off Cornwall. The wetter climate and the less desirable land probably also stopped the progress of
colonisation. It can be clearly seen now in the place names where there are few celtic place-names remaining east of the Tamar (avon is celtic for river, pen for hill, coombe for valley etc.) but almost 100% west of the Tamar. Also the Anglo-Saxon incursions can be seen around the north of the Tamar valley into north eastern Cornwall.
In the 9th and 10th centuries there were battles, some of which were won by the Cornish (in some cases with the help of the Danes) but
eventually the Cornish princes had to sign a treaty after the final battle at Boleigh (near Lands End in Cornwall). The treaty written in Cornish, Anglo-Saxon and Latin was signed at St Buryan which was given privileges as a Royal parish (Royal Peculier).
Over the next 800 years the integration of Cornwall into England took place gradually. There was little economic interest in Cornwall and it remained peripheral to the development of the country of England. After
the Battle of Hastings in 1066 the Norman french monarchy ruled England and introduced social and political hierarchies with sophisticated administration, law etc. This was superimposed on a Cornish celtic peasantry.
The Cornish, Bretons and Irish were Christian before the Anglo-Saxons but they operated a typically celtic form of religion with hermits living in cells (the Cornish saints, cil or kil is Cornish for cell), sacred wells etc. To this day the distribution of
churches is much influenced by this. |
